When the fish are bigger, like thug Jon Corzine, former governor of New Jersey, you can make $1.6 billion disappear and even if you are caught red-handed, as he was, nothing happens. You never have to return the millions you stole or delivered to your friends. You have may have to pay some paltry 0.0001% fine using the stolen money, so that the public will think you've received a stiff punishment.

I know nothing of the Florida situation. So I speak of things I know a little of.

"Voices From Russia" and Post No. 126497 on "Orthodox-Forum" @Yahoo Groups, submitted by a routine and respected poster (though perhaps she is reiterating what she may have seen on "Voices From Russia") is reporting that Robert Kondratick is being investigated by the district attorney for embezzlement of $57,000.00 (without further details).

"Voices From Russia" and Post No. 126497 on "Orthodox-Forum" @Yahoo Groups, submitted by a routine and respected poster (though perhaps she is reiterating what she may have seen on "Voices From Russia") is reporting that Robert Kondratick is being investigated by the district attorney for embezzlement of $57,000.00 (without further details).

Post 126497 by Nina Tkachuk Dimas was about an embezzlement in the Serbian Orthodox Church. However Post 126498 was about Mr. Kondratick:"Just learned that RSK was accused of embezzling 54K from the Venice parish and the church has a restraining order prohibiting his entrance on the property."

That is a bit more than I heard. I am not privy to any further information.

"I will pour out my prayer unto the Lord, and to Him will I proclaim my grief; for with evils my soul is filled, and my life unto hades hath drawn nigh, and like Jonah I will pray: From corruption raise me up, O God." -Ode VI, Irmos of the Supplicatory Canon to the Theotokos

Archbishop Dmitri was shepherding when the decision was made to allow RSK to serve at that parish. In fact, His Eminence took in RSK after he was removed as Chancellor, and resisted transferring him back to the Metropolitan when canonical charges were brought against him.

So, I'd say that the arrangement was made with a shepherd, and largely took place with a shepherd at the helm. The problem seems to have been that the shepherd got taken in by the wolf.

Bishops virtually never oversee parish finances on a regular basis... unless there is a suspicion.

In the case of RSK, Archbishop Dmitri knew that RSK was deposed from the priestly office because of inappropriate conduct in a church setting. His solution? Allow RSK to function in the very same place of his temptation... a church setting. In fact, RSK was not even permitted a period of time to repent and demonstrate his commitment to restoring his reputation. Instead, he went seamlessly into parish work from his deposition, all with the full knowledge of his weaknesses as demonstrated in the investigation and his vehement denial of the obvious.

Oversight from the Archbishop? The Archbishop purposefully placed him there. He trusted him, though only God knows why. If he trusted him enough to place him in that position, why would he feel the need to look more closely at RSK to begin with, any more than how the Archbishop typically examined any other parish?

Oversight requires a bishop to be able to entertain a healthy level of suspicion and exercise good prudence in general. Putting RSK in a parish the way he was demonstrates that His Eminence had no skepticism of RSK. Therefore, there was no oversight even with a living bishop.

He was defrocked in 2007, and sued the OCA for $25 million in 2008 while under Archbishop Dmitri. The Archbishop died in 2011 after retiring in 2009. His work in the parish in Florida was blessed and supervised by the Archbishop from 2007 to 2009.

Many thought exactly as you do about the fox and the hen-house. The problem was that Archbishop Dmitri insisted on RSK's innocence even after the Holy Synod received the full, confidential report. I don't know why the Archbishop would have such strong feelings for a man so clearly proven guilty by his own Synod, but I have seen stranger things in my days.

Some words about corruption in general, without any direct reference to any person so far mentioned in this thread:

When corruption becomes endemic to an organization, it is very difficult to stop. Many persons wind up knowing the "dirt" on other persons. So everyone is compromised. Someone gets caught and liable to face consequences, and he simply says, "Discipline (or charge) me for A, and I'll go public about your problems with B." Everyone's beholden to someone (human) for his existence, or work, or career, or income. Indeed, making use of corrupt persons who would not otherwise be "useable" is a sure way to ensure their loyalty and that they will not refuse to do "dirty work" when called on to do so by those to whom they are beholden.

In such situations, it's common that when a decent person discovers some bad stuff going on, and innocently or conscientiously blows the whistle through proper channels, he himself winds up disciplined or charged.

It becomes quite the many-layered onion. Only God and Time can resolve things.

Some words about corruption in general, without any direct reference to any person so far mentioned in this thread:In such situations, it's common that when a decent person discovers some bad stuff going on, and innocently or conscientiously blows the whistle through proper channels, he himself winds up disciplined or charged.

I recall having read in OCANews (Orthodox Christians for Accountability) following RSK's having been unfrocked, that his assignment specifically precluded him having any access to or involvement with parish finances.

I recall having read in OCANews (Orthodox Christians for Accountability) following RSK's having been unfrocked, that his assignment specifically precluded him having any access to or involvement with parish finances.

So was it entirely up to Archbishop Dmitri to allow the priest in question after being defrocked to take on the role of administrator in a parish? What sort of national oversight is there? I would assume many of the people in positions of power when these decisions were made are still in power.

Well, it is even more complicated than that! When the Archbishop retired, the diocese was administered by the former First Hierarch of the OCA, Metropolitan Jonah, from 2009 until 2011. So, the Metropolitan himself could have removed RSK in his role as locum tenens, but never did. Some have attributed this decision to the fact that Fr. Joseph Fester, who was RSK's assistant in Syosset and first fled to the Diocese of the South, had won the confidence not only of Archbishop Dmitri but also Metropolitan Jonah. The 'leaked emails' demonstrated that RSK was continuing to operate through Fr. Fester (for clarification, Fr. Fester was not implicated in this recent accusation).

However, the OCA's Holy Synod generally has a 'hands off' approach to what bishops do in their own dioceses. From all accounts, Archbishop Dmitri really did not believe the Special Investigative Committee's report (the confidential one was rather colorful as rumor has it).

But, the rest of the bishops let the Archbishop keep RSK in the diocese and working in a parish, so as to keep his vested OCA pension. The work in the parish qualified for purposes of the pension, and his defrocking would have decreased his pay-out from the pension plan unless he was able to score some other parish work. Being an administrator qualified. he never served as a priest, though may reportedly continued to call him 'Father Bob,' with the lone exception being Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald), who has loudly proclaimed not only RSK's total innocence, but denounced the actions of the Holy Synod against "The Protopresbyter Rodion Kondratick," a name that RSK never went by even in his headiest moments.

There's a few other bits to this, but this should give you some idea of the contributing factors.

So was it entirely up to Archbishop Dmitri to allow the priest in question after being defrocked to take on the role of administrator in a parish? What sort of national oversight is there? I would assume many of the people in positions of power when these decisions were made are still in power.

Well, it is even more complicated than that! When the Archbishop retired, the diocese was administered by the former First Hierarch of the OCA, Metropolitan Jonah, from 2009 until 2011. So, the Metropolitan himself could have removed RSK in his role as locum tenens, but never did. Some have attributed this decision to the fact that Fr. Joseph Fester, who was RSK's assistant in Syosset and first fled to the Diocese of the South, had won the confidence not only of Archbishop Dmitri but also Metropolitan Jonah. The 'leaked emails' demonstrated that RSK was continuing to operate through Fr. Fester (for clarification, Fr. Fester was not implicated in this recent accusation).

However, the OCA's Holy Synod generally has a 'hands off' approach to what bishops do in their own dioceses. From all accounts, Archbishop Dmitri really did not believe the Special Investigative Committee's report (the confidential one was rather colorful as rumor has it).

But, the rest of the bishops let the Archbishop keep RSK in the diocese and working in a parish, so as to keep his vested OCA pension. The work in the parish qualified for purposes of the pension, and his defrocking would have decreased his pay-out from the pension plan unless he was able to score some other parish work. Being an administrator qualified. he never served as a priest, though may reportedly continued to call him 'Father Bob,' with the lone exception being Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald), who has loudly proclaimed not only RSK's total innocence, but denounced the actions of the Holy Synod against "The Protopresbyter Rodion Kondratick," a name that RSK never went by even in his headiest moments.

There's a few other bits to this, but this should give you some idea of the contributing factors.

So was it entirely up to Archbishop Dmitri to allow the priest in question after being defrocked to take on the role of administrator in a parish? What sort of national oversight is there? I would assume many of the people in positions of power when these decisions were made are still in power.

I would argue that the independence of local ruling bishops and a Synod generally staying out of a local Bishop's affairs is not a limited to the OCA. Rather, it is the norm - even if a strong primate is in place. (Perhaps the Antiochians are an exception under Met. Philip.) It also is not unique to Orthodoxy as evidenced by the pedophile problems within the Roman church.

Yes and no. It is true that bishops have the real canonical authority within the Orthodox system. However, the Holy Synod does have a canonical role in holding its member bishops accountable to common policies and make sure they are 'doing their jobs.'

In the RSK situation, the Holy Synod would be well within its duties to call Archbishop Dmitri to account for why a man they had just disciplined was placed in a parish setting with his blessing. The Holy Synod also overlooked, and continues to ignore, the antics of Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald), who spent the last decade of his ministry locked in his apartment at Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral and refused to visit his parishes, or even return his priest's phone calls.

What's the point of having a Synod when every bishop only does what he wants? There must be a balance, and I don't think the OCA has found it yet.

RSK was able to ensconce himself in the DOS and loot a parish in part because the Holy Synod did not intervene.

This policy is leading to the breakdown of clergy discipline in the OCA.

Here's an example sent to me by an OCA priest from another OCA priest's blog (the entry has been pulled down, but the man has neither repented or been disciplined):

Quote

In the story of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae, the name Ephialtes sticks out. To this day, the name Ephialtes in modern Greek means ‘nightmare.’ It is the Greek equivalent of what the name Benedict Arnold means to an American. (Or used to mean – do they even teach about Benedict Arnold or that betrayal is bad in schools these days?) Ephialtes of Trachis betrayed his homeland by showing the Persians a path around the Greek position at the pass of Thermopylae, which helped them defeat Leonidas, his 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians of legend. Because of this betrayal, the Persians won the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.

In the recent movie, 300, recounting this story, at the final standoff, Ephialtes pleads with Leonidas to submit and save himself and his fellow soldiers. Leonidas looks sadly and sternly at him as says,

You there – Ephialtes. May you live forever.

What he was really saying to his fellow Greek was ‘May no one forget what you have done here,’ and no one has to this day. Just like Judas.

So when I think about the Synod of Bishops recent and astonishing action, unanimously requesting resignation of their own sitting primate, I begin to wonder what’s going on. Truthfully, it is no secret that Metropolitan Jonah has had little support from the Synod since his elevation as primate of the Orthodox Church in America. Indeed, the Soviet-style treatment (you have a mental condition and need to be evaluated, or ‘re-educated’) and intimidation he has meekly endured at the hands of fellow bishops is at least embarrassing, and at most, vicious.

........

You there – Orthodox Bishops of North America.

Many years. May you live forever.

Is the Holy Synod aware of this? My friend said that the Holy Synod members received a copy. Was anything done? Nope. He calls his own bishops 'Judas,' including the ones he commemorates every Sunday, and nothing happens.

RSK sues the OCA for $25 million, and Archbishop Dmitri does nothing, neither does the Holy Synod. Nothing happens.

Bishop Nikolai threatens to sue the OCA. Nothing happens.

Bishop Tikhon insults the Holy Synod (routinely) all over the internet. Nothing happens.

Metropolitan Jonah refuses to obey the Holy Synod after his retirement and to leave the territory of his former diocese. Nothing happens.

I could go on, but that would be abusive. The point is made. They have been , and continue to be, too passive.

It is one thing to endure slights with patience, but it is another to stand by while wolves devour the flock. Yes, these out-of-control bishops (mentioned above) damaged their dioceses and hurt the people in them. They have shaken the confidence and commitment of their own people. This is not Christian patience, but conflict aversion to the point of harm.

I love the OCA, and I have had the great honor of knowing some of the members of the Holy Synod. I am still astounded at their decisions, because they are simply not in keeping with their separate personalities.

This situation with RSK is just the latest example that defying common sense for the sake of (you fill in the blank because I really don't know at this point) is really counter-productive. RSK is and was a preventable infection. The Holy Synod never should have released RSK to a man they knew would defend him even after the the Synod saw the evidence against him.

But, the Synod did, and now we are here. I hope they will change and start cleaning up the shop. There's a lot of corners that need to be swept in every diocese.

I would argue that the independence of local ruling bishops and a Synod generally staying out of a local Bishop's affairs is not a limited to the OCA. Rather, it is the norm - even if a strong primate is in place. (Perhaps the Antiochians are an exception under Met. Philip.) It also is not unique to Orthodoxy as evidenced by the pedophile problems within the Roman church.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said that the administrator of a Venice FL church is accused of embezzling 53,950 USD (1.67 million Roubles. 41,500 Euros. 35,900 UK Pounds) from funds intended to help struggling parishioners. Robert Kondratick, 67, of the 11700 block of Tempest Harbor Loop in Venice, was arrested Wednesday for reportedly embezzling from church funds intended to help people who fell on hard times. In January, church council members contacted the sheriff’s office after discovering funds were misused over a six month period from June to December 2012. Kondratick, then employed as administrator of the Holy Spirit Orthodox Church, was then fired by church officials. Witnesses told the sheriff’s office that Kondratick requested signed blank checks to pay what he claimed were church expenses. However, an investigation revealed he cashed 28 checks made out to “cash” or to himself totalling 53,950 USD. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Kondratick, who turned himself in to face one felony count of grand theft. In 2007, the Orthodox Church in America relieved Kondratick of his duties as priest following an investigation into financial misconduct whilst he was working in the state of New York. At that time, criminal charges were not pursued.

How then, was he a priest at this church? Did they not know of his past?

Logged

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said that the administrator of a Venice FL church is accused of embezzling 53,950 USD (1.67 million Roubles. 41,500 Euros. 35,900 UK Pounds) from funds intended to help struggling parishioners. Robert Kondratick, 67, of the 11700 block of Tempest Harbor Loop in Venice, was arrested Wednesday for reportedly embezzling from church funds intended to help people who fell on hard times. In January, church council members contacted the sheriff’s office after discovering funds were misused over a six month period from June to December 2012. Kondratick, then employed as administrator of the Holy Spirit Orthodox Church, was then fired by church officials. Witnesses told the sheriff’s office that Kondratick requested signed blank checks to pay what he claimed were church expenses. However, an investigation revealed he cashed 28 checks made out to “cash” or to himself totalling 53,950 USD. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Kondratick, who turned himself in to face one felony count of grand theft. In 2007, the Orthodox Church in America relieved Kondratick of his duties as priest following an investigation into financial misconduct whilst he was working in the state of New York. At that time, criminal charges were not pursued.

Venice area newspapers are reporting that the church dismissed him, their "administrator," in January, and that today, Kondratick presented himself for arrest to the police. Venice authorities accused him of embezzling $53 some thousand during the last 6 months of last year. It is alleged by the police that he used "the old make checks out to 'cash' routine," that worked so well in Syosset for 19 years--though some were made out to him, as was so well documented in the OCA's Special Investigation Committee (SIC) Report of September, 2008.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said that the administrator of a Venice FL church is accused of embezzling 53,950 USD (1.67 million Roubles. 41,500 Euros. 35,900 UK Pounds) from funds intended to help struggling parishioners. Robert Kondratick, 67, of the 11700 block of Tempest Harbor Loop in Venice, was arrested Wednesday for reportedly embezzling from church funds intended to help people who fell on hard times.

***Wasn't Kondratick defrocked back in '07? I think so. He was only the administrator of the Venice parish. I just wanted to make this clear considering the headline of this thread. Kondratick is not a priest.

NEW YORK -- A former chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America, who has been accused of longtime financial wrongdoing, has been ousted from the priesthood.

The verdict by an OCA spiritual court against Robert Kondratick took effect July 31. Kondratick has said he's innocent. He held the second-highest job in the denomination.

Financial controls in the church had been "circumvented" at least since 1998, according to church leaders, and auditors uncovered a "pattern of personal use of church money" for years. No dollar amount has been given.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said that the administrator of a Venice FL church is accused of embezzling 53,950 USD (1.67 million Roubles. 41,500 Euros. 35,900 UK Pounds) from funds intended to help struggling parishioners. Robert Kondratick, 67, of the 11700 block of Tempest Harbor Loop in Venice, was arrested Wednesday for reportedly embezzling from church funds intended to help people who fell on hard times. In January, church council members contacted the sheriff’s office after discovering funds were misused over a six month period from June to December 2012. Kondratick, then employed as administrator of the Holy Spirit Orthodox Church, was then fired by church officials. Witnesses told the sheriff’s office that Kondratick requested signed blank checks to pay what he claimed were church expenses. However, an investigation revealed he cashed 28 checks made out to “cash” or to himself totalling 53,950 USD. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Kondratick, who turned himself in to face one felony count of grand theft. In 2007, the Orthodox Church in America relieved Kondratick of his duties as priest following an investigation into financial misconduct whilst he was working in the state of New York. At that time, criminal charges were not pursued.

Source???

Not the source of this article, but the story is published at "news-post.com"

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said that the administrator of a Venice FL church is accused of embezzling 53,950 USD (1.67 million Roubles. 41,500 Euros. 35,900 UK Pounds) from funds intended to help struggling parishioners. Robert Kondratick, 67, of the 11700 block of Tempest Harbor Loop in Venice, was arrested Wednesday for reportedly embezzling from church funds intended to help people who fell on hard times. In January, church council members contacted the sheriff’s office after discovering funds were misused over a six month period from June to December 2012. Kondratick, then employed as administrator of the Holy Spirit Orthodox Church, was then fired by church officials. Witnesses told the sheriff’s office that Kondratick requested signed blank checks to pay what he claimed were church expenses. However, an investigation revealed he cashed 28 checks made out to “cash” or to himself totalling 53,950 USD. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Kondratick, who turned himself in to face one felony count of grand theft. In 2007, the Orthodox Church in America relieved Kondratick of his duties as priest following an investigation into financial misconduct whilst he was working in the state of New York. At that time, criminal charges were not pursued.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said that the administrator of a Venice FL church is accused of embezzling 53,950 USD (1.67 million Roubles. 41,500 Euros. 35,900 UK Pounds) from funds intended to help struggling parishioners. Robert Kondratick, 67, of the 11700 block of Tempest Harbor Loop in Venice, was arrested Wednesday for reportedly embezzling from church funds intended to help people who fell on hard times.

***Wasn't Kondratick defrocked back in '07? I think so. He was only the administrator of the Venice parish. I just wanted to make this clear considering the headline of this thread. Kondratick is not a priest.

Nice to see you visiting us again. Please do not stay away so long.

(Aside over)

Logged

"Religion is a neurobiological illness and Orthodoxy is its cure." - Fr. John S. Romanides

***Thank you. Will try and be more productive. I'm feeling my age. And I've mellowed over the years. I've gotten caught up in warning America, through Facebook, of the evil Islamic infiltration into the U.S. and, right now, in the White House.

***Thank you. Will try and be more productive. I'm feeling my age. And I've mellowed over the years. I've gotten caught up in warning America, through Facebook, of the evil Islamic infiltration into the U.S. and, right now, in the White House.

My hope is that the OCA clergy who have maintained contact with RSK after his defrocking and ignored the truth of the Holy Synod's report will stop second-guessing their own church and finally cut ties with a man who refuses to repent.

I wish that the OCAHS had been more forceful in its dealings with RSK, and not allowed him to return to Archbishop Dmitri's protection after the Spiritual Court. Had they banned him from any type of service in any OCA parish, this would not have happened. But, in keeping with the general track of the HS, they went with the 'mercy' track and now we end up with this. I don't blame the OCAHS for RSK's new crimes, but I do believe that the Holy Synod needs to deal more forcefully with the problems of immoral behavior among its clergy.

In RSK's case, I think there is an underlying problem that was not made public that may have stayed the hand of the HS in this case. This may not be simple greed, but a deeper problem that kept him on the plunder. A number of priests have fallen into this temptation, and it always leads to ruin.

***Thank you. Will try and be more productive. I'm feeling my age. And I've mellowed over the years. I've gotten caught up in warning America, through Facebook, of the evil Islamic infiltration into the U.S. and, right now, in the White House.

***Thank you. Will try and be more productive. I'm feeling my age. And I've mellowed over the years. I've gotten caught up in warning America, through Facebook, of the evil Islamic infiltration into the U.S. and, right now, in the White House.

***Gotcha. I trust you're not referring to my mention of Islam as "evil."

I think the Orthodox position is that other religions have light in them, but it is partly obscured as through fog. That does not mean there are bad parts of other religions. As for the White House, I could explain why I don't think it's the case, but that might go into Politics, which has a separate section.

Logged

The ocean, infinite to men, and the worlds beyond it, are directed by the same ordinances of the Lord. ~ I Clement 20

***Thank you. Will try and be more productive. I'm feeling my age. And I've mellowed over the years. I've gotten caught up in warning America, through Facebook, of the evil Islamic infiltration into the U.S. and, right now, in the White House.

***Gotcha. I trust you're not referring to my mention of Islam as "evil."

I think the Orthodox position is that other religions have light in them, but it is partly obscured as through fog. That does not mean there are bad parts of other religions. As for the White House, I could explain why I don't think it's the case, but that might go into Politics, which has a separate section.

***By "White House" I was referring to staff, not the president. Sorry for the vagueness of my statement.